Means for feeding tobacco leaves to tobacco stripping machines



0a. 29, 1929. p, P IL P 1,733,359

MEANS FOR FEEDING TOBACCO LEAVES TO TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINES Filed July 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 MMW' Oct. 29, 1929. pH|LL|P$ 1,733,359

[BANS FOR FEEDING TOBACCO LEAVES TO TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINES Filed July 14, 192.7 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1929- M. G. P. PHILLIPS 1,733,359

MEANS FOR FEEDING TOBACCO LEAVES T0 TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINES Filed July 14, 1.927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 [12 @612 To r if 0201' s G'oa ifra Philgupkillq s M fiM Q Fatented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MORRIS GODFREY PHILIP PHILLIPS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND Application filed July 14, 1927, Serial No. 205,705, and in Great Britain August 3, 1926.

This invention relates to means for feeding tobacco leaves to tobacco stripping machines and it has for its object to provide means whereby the leaves, which may be in a loosely bundled condition, may be fed to a moving belt or like conveyor whereby they are presented to the stripping mechanism, separated, straightened and properly aligned with the butt ends in position ready to be acted upon by the said stripping mechanism.

Broadly defined a feeding device according to this invention comprises means whereby the leaves have imparted to them an intermittent movement from the entrant to the discharge end of the device and during such movement are acted upon by other means designed to secure their arrangement at suitable intervals apart and at a right angle to their line of travel. Provision is also made for securing the proper alignment of the butt ends of the leaves.

In order that the invention may be the better understood drawings are appended in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan.

Fig. 3 is a view of one end of the device.

Fig. 4 is a view of the other end.

Fig. 5 is a section on line A A Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing certain modifications.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a further modification.

35 Referring to the accompanying drawings 1, 2, 8, indicate vertical members forming partof the frame of the machine in which is mounted a shaft 4 driven by means of an electric motor 5. It will however be understood that the shaft 4 may be driven from any convenient shaft of the stripping machine of which the feed may form an integral portion. 6 indicates rollers supported in suitably spaced relationship by spindles 7 for which suitable bearings are provided upon the members 1, 2 and 3, said spindles receiving motion by a belt 8 passing over a pulley 9 on shaft 4 and over ullies 10 uponthe ends of ts the of roiiers 6, guide pillieys l1 and the spring controlled jockey pulley 12 whereby the belt is kept properly tensioned.

The direction of rotation of the rollers is such as to move the leaf towards the fence 21, hereafter more fully described.

Disposed between the rollers 6 are bars 13 having upon their undersides downwardly projecting extensions 14: whereby the said bars are supported from plate 15, from the underside of which project extensions 16 connected to cranks 17 mounted upon shafts 18, 18 supported at their ends by the members 19 extending between the parts 2 and 3 of the frame.

Motion is imparted to the cranks by means of thebevel wheel 20 upon shaft 18 engaging a similar wheel upon the upper end of a shaft 20 journalled in a bearing 20 carried by a bracket 20 bolted to the body supporting the motor 5, the lower end of the shaft 20 having secured thereon a bevel wheel 20 with which engages a similar wheel 20 secured upon the shaft 4.

The bars 13 thus have imparted to them a rotary motion, their upper edges when they are at the lowest point of their travel lying below the plane of the uppermost points of the circumference of the rollers. Consequently a leaf resting upon the rollers will be lifted by the bars as they rise above the rollers and carried forward, and as the bars pass downwards beneath the rollers it will be redeposited thereon but at a point in advance of that at which the bars first engage it.

21 indicates a fence or stop against which the ends of the leaves are caused to abut by the movement of the rollers, and which stop thus effects the alignment of the butt ends of the said leaves.

Arranged upon lines at a right angle to and at convenient intervals along the length of the rollers 6 and projecting at a suitable height above them are plates or fences 22, said plates being shaped as shown to partly surround the rollers and extending downwards below said rollers where they are connected to plates 23 running parallel with the rollers and connected at their ends to brackets 24,25, bolted to the frame members 2 and The lift of is such that will raise the leaf to a height just sufficient to raise it over the plates 22, the side surface of which acts to straighten the leaf so that it lies more or less at a right angle to the line of its movement. The fences may be adjustable both as to their spacing and height.

24: indicates a plate slottedto permit the passage of the bars 13, and havingan upstanding portion 24' whereby the leafis -so-to speak wiped off the bar :13on-its rearward movement and falls down the inclined portion 24 of'the plate 24 on to the feed belt -'wof the stripping machine. The leaves are thus depositedinsuitable spaced relationship and properly aligned upon .the belt w ready for the action'ofthe strippers.

The leaves'maybe fed by handto the rollers 6, in which case in order to indicate'the-position at which the leaf should be placedto'ensure itsproper engagement by thebars 13, the rollers would be provided with peripheral grooves, or be otherwise marked for this purpose.

In order to deal with'the leaves in bulk and in a loosely bundled condition, it'is desirable that the'leaves be separated priortc or during their passage along the rollers-thashereafter described. In order that'this may be effected there is provided a hopper of which the sides comprise two series of spaced and clownwardly inclined bars 26, 26* supported at their upper ends by rods27intheir turn supported by plates 29, 30, attached at their 'lower ends to the members 1 and 2 of the frame. The leaves are placed lengthwise more or less at a right angle -'to the bars, said 'b'ars being 'so arranged that there is at the bottom of the hopper a space through which they can pass. Thelline of'ea'ch set of bars may be inclined so that the hopperat one end is somewhat narrower than at the other.

Secured'to' orformed integral with the bars 13 are extensions '13, the upper ends-of which are shaped so that they are inclined vertically to agree'with'the inclination of the fixed bars Qtibetween which they are'free to'pass.

The extensions 13 -are connected'to a rod .13 and connected to said rod 13 'at each end 'arehorizontally disposed bars 13 carrying a second rod 13 'whichin its turn'supports inclined bars 13arranged to passbetween-the second series of fixed bars 2 6. its the bars 13 are actuated the movable member-of the hopper will have nnpartedpto 1t agyratory movement under wliichthe leavesinthehopper'willbe tumbled about and'separat'ed one from the other until they finally escape from the said hopper falling on to the extensions of the bars 13 down whichthey slide towards the rollers 6. If desired the inner faces of either or both the movable and fixed parts of the hopper may be roughened or otherwise treated lto assist the tumbling .action of the leaves.

rollers.

Preferably stops in the form of vertical projections are provided upon the extensions to limit the travel of the leaves thereon, other projections are provided which may be in the form of plates projecting upwards at the ends of and slightly above the upper surfaces of the rollers whereby the leaf is retained against backward movement as the-carrier bars -move backwards and forwards below theuppersurface of therollers.

Provision may be made for forming or heating the leaves whilst they are in the basket and/or whilst they pass along the As already explained the height of the fences is such-that the'upper surfacesof the bars 13 when in their highest position 1s sufficiently above the top of said fence to allowthe leaf-topass thereover. lfdesired a brush or bar, not shown,*may be provided disposed in such spaced relationship to the top of'the fenee or to the top ofthebars when in their raised position as will :prevent more than one leaf passing thereover or =thereunder.

Provision may bemade for-the forward and upwardinovement of the butt aligning stop so that the leaves :are not dragged by the stationary stop duringltheir movement whilst supported by the lifting bars.

Insteadofb'ars 13 beltszmay be provided as shown more clearly an 6. In this case the belts, indicated by 27, pass over pulleysof oval, elliptical -'or other suitable outline, or pulleys :or sheaves eccentrically mountedmay be employed; I

Instead 'of rising and falling bodies for lifting the leaves, the rollers 6 m'ay be eccentrically mounted or of elliptical or like form for lifting the leaves and :in place of the rising and falling bars, belts, bands or' cords, or elastic bodies arra ed as hereafter described ma be employed which remain in one plane. Suchianzarrangeinent'as this may be employed as the feed belt of the stripping machineritself.

According to the further modification shown i n 7, in place of either bars 13, or

belts 27, elastic bodies 28 are =employed which 'are raised above the rollers whilst in their contracted state and-then elongated carrying Ithe-leaves forward overthefences afterwhich they are lowered to'deposit athexleaves on the rollers and when'beneath said rollersiallowed to contract.

"reciprocated by means of a-connecting rod 33 operated bya crank 34. 'Th'e'lower end of the rod 30 is provided withv a roller 30 engaging a fixed cam surface 35. Springs, not shown, are provided to keep the rollers of rods 29 and 30 upon the cams.

Instead of being arranged to move in the vertical plane the inner end of each body 28 may be fixed, the outer end only being moved to extend and raise the said body.

Where an elastic body is employed there is provided at the discharge end a piece of rigid material from which the leaves are finally discharged.

The elastic bodies may be in the form of endless bands and be actuated by means of eccentrically mounted or like sheaves around which they pass. The sheaves would be of difierent diameters so as to ensure the necessary elongation and contraction at the desired movements. Suitable provision would be made to prevent stretching of the elastic bodies beyond certain limits.

To assist the movement of the leaves towards the butt aligning stop vertically disposed rollers may be provided which would be substituted for the fences 22 or certain of said fences may be replaced by rollers. Provision is made whereby the rollers are positively driven.

Although throughout the foregoing description the feeding device is described as for use in a tobacco stripping machine, it is obvious that such a device may be employed for any purpose requiring the leaves to be separated, straightened and aligned.

Claims 1. A tobacco leaf handling machine comprising means for supporting said leaves, means for periodicallv raising said leaves from said support moving same forward and redepositing them upon said supporting means, and means for aligning said leaves transversely of said supporting means.

2. A tobacco leaf handling machine comprising a plurality of bodies in spaced relationship one to another, and means movable between said bodies for periodically raising the leaves moving them forward and rede positing them upon said bodies.

3. A tobacco leaf handling machine com prising a plurality of bodies in spaced relationship one to another and means movable between said bodies for periodically raising the leaves moving them forward and redepositing them upon said bodies, and means for aligning said leaves transversely of said bodies.

4. A tobacco leaf handling machine comprising means for supporting said leaves, means for periodically raising said leaves from said support moving same forward and redepositing them upon said supporting means, and means for aligning the butt ends of the leaves.

5. A tobacco leaf handling machine comprising a plurality of bodies in spaced relationship one to another and means movable between said bodies for periodically raising the leaves moving them forward and redepositing them upon said bodies, and means for aligning said leaves transversely of said supporting means.

6. A tobacco leaf handling machine comprising a plurality of bodies in spaced relationship one to another, and means movable between said bodies for periodically raising the leaves moving them forward and redepositing them upon said bodies, and means for aligning said leaves transversely of said bodies, and means for aligning the butt ends of the leaves.

7. A tobacco leaf handling machine'ineluding a support for the leaves comprising a plurality of rollers arranger in spaced relationship, means for driving said rollers all in the same direction, means for aligning the butt ends of the leaves, and means movable between said rollers for periodically raising the leaves from the rollers, carrying them forward and redepositing them upon said rollers.

8. A tobacco leaf handling machine including a support for the leaves comprising a plurality of rollers arranged in spaced relationship, means for driving said rollers all in the same direction, means for aligning the Jutt ends of the leaves, and means movable between said rollers for periodically raising the leaves from the rollers, carrying them forward and redepositing them upon said rollers, and means for aligning the leaves transversely of the rollers.

9. A tobacco leaf handling machine including a support for the leaves comprising a plurality of rollers arranged in spaced relationship, means for driving said rollers all in the same direction, means for aligning the butt ends of the leaves, bars disposed between and parallel to the rollers, means for oper ating said bars in a manner to cause them to raise the leaf from the rollers, move it forward and redeposit it upon said rollers, and projections disposed upon lines transversely of the length of the rollers for engaging and aligning the said leaves transversely of said rollers.

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame, feed rollers extending longitudinally of said frame, means to drive said feed rollers all in the same direction, a fence extending along the feed rollers and against which tobacco leaves extending transversely of said rollers are forced endwise by the action of the rollers, and means to move the tobacco leaves longitudinally of the rollers in a step by step movement.

11. In a machine of the class described, a frame, feed rollers extending longitudinally of said frame, means to drive said feed rollers all in the same direction, a fence extending along the feed rollers and against which tobacco leaves extending transversely of said rollers are forced endwise by the action of the rollers, members interposed between adjacent rollers, and means to support and move said members through a path adapted to lift the leaves off the rollers, move them longitudinally of the rollers and redepositthe leaves on the rollers at the end of the longitudinal movement.

12. In a machine of the class described, a frame, feed rollers extending longitudinally of said frame, means to drive said feed rollers all in the same direction, a fence extending along the feed rollers andagainst which tobacco leaves extending transversely of said rollers are forced endwise by the action of the rollers, members interposed between adjacent rollers, means to support and move said members through a path adapted to lift the leaves off the rollers, move them longitudinally of the rollers and redeposit the leaves on the rollers at the end of the longitudinal movement, and stop members projecting above said rollers and extending in lines transversely thereof, said last mentioned means being adapted to lift the leaves over the rolls of stop members successively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my'hand.

MORRIS GODFREY PHILII PHILLIPS. 

